Fatty Acids in Natural Ecosystems and Human Nutrition 2022–2023
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules: Lipids".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 6241
Special Issue Editor
2. Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Siberian Federal University, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Interests: limnology; aquatic ecologyhy; hydrobiology; fatty acids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the last few decades, fatty acids (FAs), including polyunsaturated acids of omega-3 family (PUFA), appeared to be the focus of attention for biochemists, physiologists, and ecologists. On the one hand, fatty acids, especially long-chain PUFA, are of great physiological importance for animals, including humans, as (i) biochemical precursors of signaling molecules (oxylipins), (ii) structural components of cell membranes of neural tissues, and (iii) ‘‘pacemakers’’ for the metabolism of animal cells (i.e., activators of membrane-bound enzymes). For humans, the consumption of PUFAs, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is recommended by the World Health Organization in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases and neural disorders. On the other hand, FAs are used as the most reliable biomarkers for tracing fluxes of matter and energy in trophic webs of natural ecosystems, and thereby for evaluating their structure and functions. Among natural ecosystems, water bodies were found to play a peculiar role concerning long-chain PUFAs. Indeed, vascular plants—the main primary producers in terrestrial ecosystems—do not synthesize EPA and DHA. In contrast, some taxa of microalgae produce substantial amounts of EPA and DHA. Once synthesized by microalgae, PUFAs are transferred through trophic webs to organisms of higher trophic levels—invertebrates and fish. Thus, aquatic ecosystems are the main source of physiologically important EPA and DHA for many animals, including some omnivorous terrestrial animals and humans. The ability of aquatic ecosystems to produce long-chain PUFAs, including those for human nutrition, at present, is threatened by many anthropogenic factors, such as pollution, eutrophication, climate change, and biological invasions. Thus, the evaluation of fatty acids in natural ecosystems is of considerable importance for pure and applied sciences.
Prof. Dr. Michail I. Gladyshev
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- omega-3 fatty acids
- eicosapentaenoic acid
- docosahexaenoic acid
- biomarker fatty acids
- food webs
- trophic transfer
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